Did I enjoy that or not?

After yesterdays lovely run – I decided to get up early again (4am) and travel into the Capital to get to the office in time to have an early morning run along the Thames again before work. Great idea and I was really looking forward to it.

I set off from the office at 6:40 and headed down to the river, unlike yesterday it was overcast and quite a bit warmer. I think my hat and Helly Henson long sleeved top were probably overkill and I certainly started to overhead pretty quickly. Within 5 minutes my legs were aching and on top of this – unlike yesterday I was using my iPod and listening to music – so couldn’t hear the water. I absolutely hated this run until the last 5 mins – for some reason the endorphins kicked in at that point and I started enjoying it – probably as my legs had become numb and some hard rock came over the earphones.

I had a warm down on the treadmill for 5 mins followed by a good stretch – and went for a shower. What was odd was the thought process I went through afterwards – I found myself saying to myself that I really enjoyed that run, that it was a good run etc. I realised then that I was talking absolute rubbish! It was an awful run – I hated it. So what was my head doing? Is this some human trait to cover up and make you forget hardship? I consider myself a reasonably intelligent bloke – but was very surprised to be caught out by my own brain playing this kind of trick on me. Even now – although logically I know the run was awful – my feelings for it are warm and fuzzy. All very odd.

Well that’s all the running done now until the race on Sunday. Another 5km in 28min under the belt. Perhaps a light swim on Sunday – but apart from that the next run will be 22km round the Gran Prix circuit of Silverstone. Good luck to all those running in the same race – and if you see some fat bloke flat out in the gravel trap at the side – give him a kick and tell him that he’s nearly finished and to get a move on!